Chitravina Ravikiran @ Music Academy

[tiruvarur]

Badly wanted to attend this one but couldn't make it unfortunately. Reviews anyone?

[ganeshkant]

I didn't make notes as my mob.was out of charge.Anyways I can brief.

Approximate List:
1.BegadA - varnam - adi
2.jAnakiramanA - sudhdha seemandhini - (n@rathna,S)
3.pAvana guru - hamsAnandi - S
4........-kalyAni - (R,S) in m.chapu
5.paramAthmudu - vAgadheeswari - (R,N,S,T)
6.RTP in sAvEri - sangeerna thriputai - rAgamAlika in pallavi - nattakurinji,behAg

It was an excellent concert as usual which was thinly attended.
Dr.TS teamed up with KVG played a lively tani apart from accompanying beautifully.
Peri SrirAmamurthy gave good and understanding support.

The kalpana svarams played for pAvanaguru was extra ordinary.I lost count of the octaves he covered.vAgadheeswari was dealt with leisurely with a scholarly touch;couldn't even notice a trace of HarikambOji.

[CRama]

It was an excellent concert - as you can expect from Ravikiran. I did not take down any note. From my memory I am writing. The song list:
Begada varnam
Janakeeramana-Sudhaseemanthini
Talli ninnunera-Kalyani
A song of Uthukadu Venkatakavi in the ragam Manji
Pavanaguru-Hamsanandi
Paramathmudu-Vagadheeswari
RTP-Saveri- Mishra Triputa talam
Tanam and Ragamalika swaras in Natakurinji,Behag,Varali and Sree
Sakiprana-Javali-Chenjuruti
It was not thinly attended. But athe audience was lesser as compared to the previous concert-Malladi Bros.
Janakeeramana had lot of swaras in attractive patterns. Kalyani was dealt with in detail. Its neraval and swaras were very enjoyable with some kanakkus in it. Manji was a new song for me. Ravikiran said that it was not tuned by him- but the tune was set by the Mahakavi himself. He just got the authentic version and he is presenting in his concerts. The swarsa for Pavanaguru was also captitvating. Vagadheeswari was good. RTP was brief - because of the time constraints. Sankaran Sir 's mridangam was exquisite and it was a pleasure to watch his playing. His following songs and during neravals and swaras etc were a lesson in itself. His thani was for 15 minutes and audience enjoyed immensely.Ravikiran also appreciated the Mridangam of Sankaran Sir. The Ganjira artist ( Ithink Anirudh Athreya )also complimented well.

[kachapah]

I stayed only till Vagadeeshwari because we had to go home. The swarams for Pavanaguru made me spell bound. It sounded so beautiful!!!
Ravi Kiran Mama said that he had chosen Paramarthmudu in Trichy Sankaran mama's honor. Apparently Sankaran mama played his maiden tani avarthanaam for this song for the Aalathur brothers when the brothers sang Paramarthmudu. He was only 13 years old then. Ravi Kiran mama said that he would "try" and play Paramathmudu to the best of his ability although he was no match for the Alathur brothers. If this is the case I can only imagine how the Alathur brothers must have sung it!!!!!!!

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Ravikiran also informed the audience the speciality of the Oothukadu kriti in Manji kriti (Aadi tala)where the entire composition hovers around the madhya stayi. Ravikiran deserves commendation for internalising the kriti to the core.

Ravikiran noted that Prof Sankaran's maiden tani (when he was a lad of 13) while accompanying the Alathur Brothers was for the song Paramatmudu. Vagadeeswari thus turned to be the natural choice for the main kriti of the concert, Ravi informed.

The Javali (sakhiprana)- chenchurutti gave a fitting finale to the sober concert.

[arasi]

I was there too.
A Ravikiran concert is in its own class--nothing to match it. It's a moving fare without making any waves of the mini-tsunami kind. It's an experience--which brings tranquility to the soul. Even his fast-paced playing passages have that quality of not disturbing the peaceful mood in the listener.
Yes, compared to the stampede of evening concerts,thank goodness, one could enter the hall without shoving and pushing.The hall 'looked' less-peopled in contrast. There were plenty of us there in the audience. Yes, this year's Sangeetha Kalanidhi gave wonderful support. Gopalakrishnan was good too.
Somehow, Peri Sriramamurthy's violin did not appeal to me that much. Something to do with my personal taste, I suppose.

[MV]

Somehow, Peri Sriramamurthy's violin did not appeal to me that much. Something to do with my personal taste, I suppose.

Well your personal taste must be similar to mine. I found that it not only did not appeal but probably also stifled the flow of the 'Master' In contrast I thought last year's contrast was good and the year before that he played 'O Jagadamba' to a packed house. I felt the same serenity you talk about

[tkb]

A great concert and indeed a good audience! The ones who were there enjoyed it as usual. A great Vidwan indeed!

[ganeshkant]

Peri's violin playing was better than my expectation.I had written my real feeling about him in a post a couple of years before when he played for the carnatica bros.in PSS.More over I have found that most of the artists want only flattery in the name of reviews.So,why go against the current and earn wrath?Like in the other thread some one has written about an order by a octogenarian artist about rasika's reviews.i.e as per him,
a rasika can say 'pidichirukku'or 'illai' only.I am going to have more hesitations about writing reviews hereafter or may stop totally also.May be somewhere at my inner heart I might have found something logical about that comment.

[varsha]

For those of us who have heard Ravikiran for close to three decades , ANY Violin accompaniment looks ill-matched with the main performance .Even if it is Akkarai . It is in the nature of the two instruments , perhaps . No point harassing Peri .

[Sivaramakrishnan]

I totally agree with varsha. A 'staunch follower' of Ravikiran for the last more than 30 years, I have seen that some of the best performances he gave were (when he played) without Violin. Of course a good support while handling a difficult instrument like Citraveena is quite necessary and even a 'must', but it has to 'very very very good' in Ravikiran's case.

And nothing like accompaniment of a competent Chitraveena itself!(At least in the one or two concerts he plays during the season ? This year's only concert was at the Academy!)

[arasi]

varsha,
Your point taken. Violin and Chitra vINA are not made for each other, perhaps.
However, Akkarai playing for him in several concerts I've heard--here and in Bengaluru did not make me feel distracted.--perhaps because she's his student and plays the fiddle to suit his playing. Also, he might give her guidance about how he wants her to play in every concert. I'm not sure.

I have heard Peri before and did not think that his playing was unappealing in those concerts. Even last evening, he blended in, as the concert progressed.

[Nick H]

To my ears, the strings of any sort of veena are not well matched by the strings of violin.

My ideal veena concert: one veena, one mridangam.

(ok... Two veenas, one mridangam also allowed!)

[mahavishnu]

I heard a recording of this concert (till the end of the Vagadeeswari piece and the tani avartanam). TS's accompaniment was just superb.
It is amazing how he manages to get such an amazing nAdham from a G# tuned instrument!

I found Sri Peri's (not Perry) returns and raga alapanais to be quite excellent, although I agree with those that said that the violin is not well suited for accompanying a continuous slide string instrument.

[MV]

varsha,
Your point taken. Even last evening, he blended in, as the concert progressed.

I also wish to add that the expectations were probably very high for this concert. This being the only concert that Ravi Kiran was playing this Season. I guess that makes it hard all round

[Nick H]

... I agree with those that said that the violin is not well suited for accompanying a continuous slide string instrument.

or even a plucked one. The turns and returns would be fine, and would serve the purpose of giving some variety of sound to keep the ear fresh.

[mahavishnu]

Nick, agreed.
MV, yes the expectations were probably very high also because it was Sri TS's kalanidhi concert. Although he is scheduled to play with OST in a couple of days in the morning slot...

[Nick H]

Expectations of such musicians as Ravikiran and Trichy Sankaran are always high, season or no, Academy or no, SK or no, and I doubt that they would have it any other way. I bet their expectation of themselves is even high than any from the audience!

[ramarama]

At some post concert session, I once asked "Pandit" Ravikiran about that violin accompaniment choice of his - he said he plays like would sing, so he likes the violin returns as a singer would. Also, he said that it gets him some respite - must be tiring to play an instrument non stop.

Quite amazing that he can use the chitraveena as an accompanying instrument to vocalists, as he demo'ed yet again today at R K Srikantan's concert - lovely to hear vocal turns of phrases translated instantly on the veena.

[mahavishnu]

Yes, Ravikiran's accompaniment of Sri RKS is a connoisseur's delight. I am glad that this is now almost a regular feature during the season for the last few years.

[carnatricks]

as he demo'ed yet again today at R K Srikantan's concert - lovely to hear vocal turns of phrases translated instantly on the veena.

@ramarama - im sure the concert was a delight. any lists or reviews on the same.?

[KV.Gopalakrishnan]

The Ganjira artist ( Ithink Anirudh Athreya )also complimented well.

The artiste was not Anirudh Athreya... its me, KV Gopalakrishnan, who played kanjira in that concert...